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Everyone has been wondering what Amazon would do when it finally got into the smartphone game, and now we can stop wondering — it’s the Fire Phone. Unimaginitive name aside, this is Amazon’s attempt to expand its custom Android build (called Fire OS) from tablets to phones, which keeps Amazon’s content and shopping experience in your pocket all day. The smartphone’s specs are high-end, but it’s the experience that matters most. The $200 on-contract price tag is a premium price point for a smartphone — does Amazon’s first foray into Android phones justify that price?

If you’ve never spent time with a Kindle Fire tablet, you might not even realize that Fire OS is a version of Android. There are still hints of the little green robot peeking through Amazon’s tough gunmetal gray Fire OS theme. However, one aspect of Android you won’t find on the Fire Phone is the part everyone associates with Android — there are no Google apps or services. Amazon is forking Android for each of its devices, usually grabbing one of the newer versions of Google’s software from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) when the time comes to develop. The open source build of Android comes with none of Google’s framework built-in because those parts are proprietary. That’s fine, and maybe even preferable for Amazon’s purposes.

When you buy a Fire Phone, you get Amazon’s services in place of Google’s. That means no Chrome, Play Store, Google Play Music, Google Drive, or Gmail. Instead you get Silk Browser, Amazon Appstore, Cloud Player, Cloud Drive, and Amazon’s generic email client. Depending on how deeply embedded you are in Google’s ecosystem, that might not be the end of the world.

Since Amazon is using Android as the base of its platform, the apps in the Appstore are just Android apps with a few small tweaks for Amazon’s distribution system and DRM. However, just because developers can put their apps on Amazon doesn’t mean they will. That might be the biggest issue with the Fire Phone as a premium device — the Amazon Appstore can’t hold a candle to Google Play. The Appstore only has fifteen of the top twenty free Android apps and games, and just nine of twenty top paid apps and games.

Amazon is doing much better when it comes to other types of content. Fire OS has built-in support for Amazon’s video library, which you still can’t get on regular Android devices. There is also a vast selection of music with cloud storage. However, Google now has an excellent subscription music service in Play Music. If you want to read on a smartphone, which isn’t really ideal, the Kindle ecosystem built into the Fire Phone is far superior to Google Play Books.

Amazon spent a large part of its event talking about how its massive selection of products would tie into the Fire Phone via Amazon Firefly. This is a software feature that uses the camera to instantly ID products and link you to them on Amazon. It can also figure out music and video content for you. It’s undeniably neat, but you have to wonder how much use it will get. Similar apps and services already exist for Android, though in a more limited fashion. Will Firefly be a killer feature or just a gimmick? Time will tell.

There is no analog in Google’s Android for Amazon’s head-tracking “Dynamic Perspective” tech. The company is promising a more immersive shopping and gaming experience that lets you change the view perspective simply by moving your head. If it works, that’s a good thing. If not, you might wish Amazon had skipped the quartet of IR-sensitive cameras and kept the price lower. Mayday is also unique, and the ultimate mom-friendly feature. Tap this one button and you get instant live support for your Fire Phone.

Amazon is trying to get away from selling devices so cheaply that it eats all the profit, as it does with the Fire tablets. The Fire Phone is being sold in a very traditional way on AT&T with a two-year contract (it’s $650-750 without one). The retailer is probably making money on every device instead of just hoping it hooks more consumers of its content with a cheap device. The free year of Amazon Prime does sweeten the deal, but more capable devices like the Galaxy S5 and LG G3 are selling for the same up-front price. Amazon might be paddling upstream here.

I’m actually in the market for a smart phone. I’ve had the same old flip phone for over 10 years now. I don’t even think it texts. Now I have been for 6 months but have been waiting for something to ‘blow me away’ with something amazing. The HTC One M8 in champagn gold was the first one to make me sit up and take notice, but just shy of ‘must have’. I use Amazon services a lot, and I shop with Amazon quite a bit, so I would really like to see this phone up in close and in person.

ShanieOneillnuc

my classmate’s aunt makes $68 every hour on the computer . She has been
fired for 7 months but last month her paycheck was $15495 just working on the
computer for a few hours. visit the site R­e­x­1­0­.­C­O­M­

ShanieOneillnuc

just before I looked at the receipt ov $8130 , I didn’t believe that my
sister woz like actualy bringing in money part-time from there pretty old
laptop. . there aunts neighbour has been doing this 4 only about 22 months and
at present repayed the mortgage on their appartment and bought themselves a
Chrysler . see here M­o­n­e­y­d­u­t­i­e­s­.­C­O­M­

AlexisKerryfyg

my mum
just purchased GMC Yukon SUV just by some parttime working online at home…
find more info F­i­s­c­a­l­p­o­s­t­.­C­O­M­

courtney

Not what I would recommend read my comment for more in site on the matter.

Ray C

I really don’t shop Amazon as much as I used to, so this is of no value to me. Now I guess this could also be Apple and Google fans distorting to way the device can be used. But from what I can tell this phone is mainly beneficial to people who will be using Amazon services a lot.

Mo Lillaney

I think its more important for amazon to roll out amazon fresh then it is to have a smartphone imo.

Michael Clapp

I was hoping Amazon would do something disruptive to the big carriers but instead this is really just a me too paired with AT&T. The features aren’t unique enough to make me want on and in fact are too unique in the wrong way without having the Google apps. This one is going to whiff IMO.

brekinapez

Due to Amazon’s treatment of book publishers and authors, I will not purchase any of their products.

Fortunately there is no shortage of options.

Anton

Hi brekinapez – I thought Amazon were a reputable company? I’m interested to know how publishers and authors were are being maltreated. Can you shed some light please?

brekinapez

Amazon has a huge share of the retail book market – they pretty much dominate it now. They have lately been using this fact to try and force extremely favorable contracts for buying titles from the various publishers. The rates are along the lines of those Wal-Mart demands of many of its vendors and some smaller companies have been wrecked by this. Those who don’t play along find their authors get removed from discount programs all other books usually get which makes them less attractive to buyers, they stop featuring them on recommended lists, and other tactics mainly directed at affecting the publisher’s bottom line. It is a dilemma for them as Amazon is in control of much of their revenue stream now. In fact, I used to work at Borders Books and we gave them control of our web site when corporate decided to farm out the online sector (which was really stupid, IMO) and eventually Amazon got big enough to tell us to get another online sales outlet, which by that time we were too late to re-enter the game and we know where Borders is now.

Having owned other of amazon product(namely kindle fire)I say no!I use a nexus product now.I would use a ms smartphone tho if ms or Nokia would sell a x64 smartphone (can I dream with top of the line Intel inside?)they do it for tablet ,why not for smartphone

Sam Pinkus

Since when is Andriod “Google’s”?

freefighter

Android is Google’s OS for their devices.

Stlouisishome

Seriously?
Android Amazon Prime App and Amazon Fresh in St Louis, I’d renew Amazon Prime if Amazon would develop that App for Google’s Play Store, Amazon Fresh should expand to the Midwest as well…

I am very much intertwined with Google services so to get a new phone for the first time in 5 years and spoiling myself with the newest and supposedly best on the market was a big mistake. Don’t get me wrong it’s a cool phone and I like the idea. However, the sometimes black screen where my keyboard should be and sometimes not working at all keyboard is a bit of a disappointment, not to mention the freezing everyday and having to restart the phone as well as the lock screen blinking out instead of unlocking, is pretty aweful. At one point the phone part of this phone wasn’t even there, I mean I clicked on the phone icon but all I got was a white screen.
This phone has some serious issues to the point where I’m thinking of returning it for a normal nn amazon android, yes I’m sure my Amazon subscription will be canceled as well but that isn’t as important as having a reliable phone. I love Google so to have a phone without the option to get anything google at all might just be a deal breaker. Plus amazon needs to tell the retailers that when a customer asks if it’s Google comparable as I did they need to say not in the slightest.

I picked up the Fire HD 7, a7″ tablet.Now I mainly got it for music. It is the Only tablet on the market I could find, under $100 that supports a 128gb SD card. I have written to Amazon to complain about the lack of an add-on browser, as the SILK browser sort of sucks. I was surprised to get a Personalized return message, agreeing with my finding of the poor nature of the Operating system, and lack of choice of OS. The Fire could use Android, but your not given a choice at purchase. It could be done the same way most cell phones are done. Most recent OS, with company bloatware added. We are all used to that. It internal memory is great, and the video playing works well. Screen resolution seems good. Very good colors So all in all, for the price of $50, I really can’t complain too much. Just the lack of choices in apps and OS.

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